It was long after sundown before Adrien finally made it home. He and Luna had spent the better half of an hour trying to find his phone in the brush; apparently the thief had one hell of an arm. When they finally recovered it, the device had a small crack in the top corner of the screen, as well as eight missed calls and five messages. Gabriel was livid. As soon as his son strode through the front gate, he had the boy ushered into his office. Adrien had kept his head low as his father chewed him out. He demanded to know where he'd been. Adrien tried to tell him he'd been with Luna, being a friend like he asked him to, but Gabriel was having none of it. Adrien was beyond grounded. He wasn't to leave the house for any reason without his father's knowledge and permission. Honestly, the teen was surprised public school was still in the picture, though he had a sneaking suspicion it was only so he could keep an eye on Luna like he promised.
"I still think we need to go through with it."
Adrien stared up at his ceiling, mulling over Luna's words. Even after that kiss, after knowing just how much he cared for her, she still wanted to forget everything. It was almost worse than rejection. He felt hollow and heavy at the idea. But most of all, he just felt drained.
"I...I need some time..." he'd told her. One last grasp at an illusion of control that was quickly slipping through his fingers.
She had looked like she wanted to argue, but she relented in the end. He'd have the night to think it over, at least. Adrien rubbed his face. He didn't want to think it over. He didn't want to have to make that call. With a frustrated growl, the blond sat up, green eyes glaring a hole in his carpet.
"You okay, kid?"
He snorted. "No." A sigh left his lips. "We have patrol, tonight."
"Could always skip," Plagg offered, settling to rest in the boy's hair. "Stay here and sleep. I'm good with that."
"I need to stretch my legs." He couldn't stand the thought of being cooped up in his room. Of being completely alone with his thoughts. His eyes flicked to the clock on the wall. 9 pm. If he didn't leave soon, he'd screw himself out of a good night's sleep. Assuming he'd get any. With a groan, Adrien got to his feet and stretched. He took a deep breath, held it, and let go. Standing just a bit straighter, he flicked his kwami's head. "Ready?"
Plagg grumbled. "Can't we eat first?"
Adrien's lips twitch in the threat of a smile. At least some things would never change. "I think you'll live. Claws out!"
Lights whirled passed him in a familiar blur. It was a brisk night. The change of seasons was becoming more and more apparent with each day, and the fall air burned Chat's lungs as he ran. It even seemed to cut through his suit, chilling his body and urging him forward if only to keep warm. And, God, did he love every second of it.
The sound of footsteps reached his keen ears, causing the hero to stop. He cocked his head to try and discern the source. It was close, echoing on the rooftops just like his did. Was it Luna? She must've been as restless as him. Chat's tail twitched. She probably didn't want to see him. He still followed. If they were really going through with this, then he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could. A streak of red made him stop, again. He stared at the girl in the distance in confusion and disappointment.
That wasn't his thief.
She must have spotted him too, because Ladybug shifted mid-air and came flying towards him. Chat watched as his partner landed at his side with a tumble. She flashed him a smile, flicking her wrist to retrieve her yo-yo.
"There you are!" She said, practically breathless as she got to her feet. "I was starting to get worried."
Chat's ears flattened as he studied the heroine. "Is everything alright?" he asked, tentatively.
"Huh? Yeah, of course it is," Ladybug said. "Why do you ask?"
"I usually don't see you during my shift."
"Oh... right..." She shifted on the balls of her feet. The awkward tension growing between them was almost suffocating. Ladybug tried to laugh it off, though it sounded forced, even to her. "I just thought with Spades' planned 'heist' tomorrow, we could discuss a battle plan... or something."
"Ah. I guess that makes sense." In actuality, he'd completely forgotten about the heist, and the bet along with it. His brow furrowed. The bet...
Ladybug cleared her throat. "I, uh..." She fidgeted about, her fingers threading together as she looked away. This really shouldn't have been so hard to do. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. Finally, she forced the words out. "I also wanted to apologize...For what I said the other day. That was low. Even for me."
Chat sighed, shaking his head. "It's fine, Milady."
She looked up at him, rubbing her arm. "I... It is?"
"Well, yeah..." He crouched along the roof's edge, tail wrapping around him. "You were right."
"Right about what?"
He didn't look at her. "I let her distract me, and I shouldn't have. I'm sorry I let you down."
Ladybug didn't know what to say. Looking at her partners back, she had to wonder why he seemed so small. No, distant. Brushing at her bangs, the heroine sat down beside him, letting her legs dangle over the ledge. Her hands sank between her knees, nervously wringing together. For a moment, neither one spoke. The city's nightly hum played out beneath them. It did it's best to fill the silence, but it all seemed like white noise to the teens. Finally, Chat heaved a sigh.
"Look, let's just forget it, oka-"
"I shouldn't have snapped at you," Ladybug said, voice low.
He groaned. "Ladybug-"
"It's not okay! How can you be alright with this?!" Both seemed taken aback by her outburst. "You're my partner, Chat... I should've had more faith in you."
Chat stared at her, dumbfounded. He folded into himself with ears and tail low. Green eyes flicked about nervously. "I... Really?"
"Of course," Ladybug said. Even as she said it, the girl felt herself deflate. It shouldn't have been a question. She had always counted on seeing his cocky grin, and its absence hurt more than she ever thought it would. Worst of all, she was the one who took it away without batting an eye.
"Chat, I-"
"What are we?"
Silence followed his hushed words. "What? We're partners, chaton."
He snorted. "Yeah, right. What does that even mean? We don't know anything about each other. We can't even trust each other with our real names."
"Chat, you know why we can't."
"...yeah, I know... for the good of Paris." He hugged his knees closer to his chest, leering out at the cityscape.
Ladybug raised her hand towards him only to pull it away, again. She worried her lip between her teeth.
"Do... Do you remember when we first met?"
Chat gave her a sidelong glance. "Yeah. Why?"
"I was so nervous back then. Meeting Tikki, getting my powers. Everything was so new and overwhelming. Suddenly, it felt like I had the world on my shoulders, and all I can remember thinking was there must've been some kind of mistake. I'm just a normal girl. How could I save Paris?" She held up her yo-yo. "I didn't even know how to use this thing, yet."
A small smirk grew on Chat's face at the memory. Him testing the limits of his Miraculous. Ladybug quite literally crashing into his life. She had seemed so shy.
"And then, there you were," Ladybug continued. "All suave and confident. It was like you were born with your mask. You made it all seem so easy."
Chat quirked a brow. "Suave, huh?"
She swatted at his shoulder. "Oh, shut up!" His snicker made her smile. She looked up at the moon hanging overhead. "I don't think I ever told you, but you're the reason I didn't just run away, that day. You gave me the confidence to try."
"Did I? Because if I recall correctly, you didn't exactly hesitate throwing me right at Stoneheart," Chat teased.
The heroine pouted. "It worked, didn't it?"
"Yeah, it did." He rested a cheek against his knee, eyes somber. He hadn't thought about it before, but he didn't exactly hold his own back then, either. He'd always ran in without a second thought. Hell, he'd blown his Cataclysm in their first fight and made himself utterly useless. Being thrown headfirst into the enemy was more or less warranted after that. Glancing at his hands, Chat began to toy with his ring. Did he even deserve to have it? What had he actually done to earn the gift?
"Chat?"
"Hm?" He blinked at his partner in a daze. "Sorry. Guessed I spaced for a bit."
Ladybug pursed her lips. "Are you okay?"
He wanted to say yes. To just shrug it off like he always did. But he was just so tired. He didn't have the energy to pretend. "I'm getting there," was all he said.
"Are you still having troubles at home?"
"I... Sorta?"
Her brow knitted together. "'Sorta'?"
His eyes shifted away from her as he weighed his options. After another pregnant pause, he sucked in a breath and slumped his shoulders. This was dumb. This was really, really dumb.
"Can I... ask a hypothetical question?"
Ladybug blinked in confusion. "O...kay?"
"You can't take it the wrong way," he pressed. "It's strictly what-if."
"Chat, what's wrong?"
His ears folded back, again. "What would you do if someone you really care about... found... out...?"
"Found out wha-"
Their eyes locked. It clicked.
Ladybug went stiff, staring down the boy in shock. He couldn't... There was just no way! Chat could not have been that dumb! She told him how many times; no one can know! He shrank under her gaze. Not exactly a great sign.
"Did someone find out?"
He tried to suppress a groan. "Hypothetically-"
"Chat," Ladybug said. Her eyes bore into him. "Did. Someone. Find out?"
Chat didn't dare look at her. His chest hurt. Even if he tried denying it now, he knew Ladybug wasn't going to let it go. He should've kept his big mouth shut.
"Chat!"
"It was an accident." Weak, but what else could he say?
Her mouth hung open. "How?!"
"It just happened, okay?! I fucked up. I'm sorry."
Ladybug pulled at her pigtails, leaning forward. Her mind raced. What did this mean for them? How long had he been keeping it from her? What would Master Fu say?
"What're we going to do?" she whispered.
Chat buried his face. He fought back the stinging in his eyes. What he wouldn't have given to just disappear in that moment.
"...I can fix it," he said, trying not to choke.
"'Fix it'?" Ladybug asked. "How?"
He took a deep breath to steady himself. "Plagg says I can erase memories. It'll be like it never happened."
"Then, why haven't you? Chat, you know how dangerous-"
"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO!"
Ladybug recoiled. She saw the tears forming before he looked away, again. Her hand reached for him, but she was afraid to make contact. He was breaking right in front of her. It felt like he'd shatter at her touch.
"Chat..." she whispered.
"I know," he said before swallowing. "I should've done it by now. We're supposed to keep it secret, and someone knowing puts them in danger. I get that. I just... We just met. She barely knew me before... before I-"
"-Let the chat out of the bag?"
Chat groaned, wiping his eyes with his wrist. "I wasn't going to say that. But, yeah."
Ladybug rubbed at her knuckle. "So you're stalling because you don't want her to forget you."
"Pretty much," he admitted. "I've only known her a couple of weeks. But I can't imagine my life without her. And I don't want to."
"Chat, your friend's not going to disappear on you. They're just memories. You can make new ones."
"I guess... I don't know..."
Ladybug smirked. "What, you think she won't want to get to know you without the mask? You?"
He glowered at her. "Ladybug, even you don't want to get to know me without the mask."
She rolled her eyes. "I just find it hard to believe you couldn't be friends without her knowing your secret. If all she's interested in is the mask, then she doesn't deserve your friendship."
"I know. I just... I'm terrified she won't ever feel the same way, again."
The way he said that gave her pause. "She's... not just a friend... is she?"
He sighed. "No. She's not."
Ladybug pursed her lips. "You said you only knew each other a couple of weeks."
"I guess I tend to fall for girls fast," he said with a shrug.
"Chat, do you really even know her?"
"Y'know, she used the same argument for you."
Ladybug didn't like this one bit. If this new "friend" of his was more interested in the superhero and not the boy under the mask, then at best she wasn't worth his time, at worst... Hold on... The same argument?
"Wait, what about me?!"
Chat's mind finally caught up with what he'd said. His eyes grew wide at the blush growing on the bug's face. Goddamn his big mouth!
"Did you like me?" Ladybug squeaked out.
"...uhhhh."
"All that time you were flirting with me," she said. "You were serious?!"
His ears drooped. "You thought I wasn't?!"
"You were always so cheesy about it, I thought you just flirted with every girl you met!"
"No! Can we get back to my fuck up, please?"
"But why did you even like me? I'm nothing special, Chat."
"Are you kidding me? You're Ladybug! You're one of the bravest people I know! You're brilliant, passionate, inspiring. You care so much about this city and everyone in it that you'd risk your life protecting it. How could a guy not fall for you?"
Both teens turned a bright red at his words.
"I... don't know what to say," Ladybug said.
"Sorry," Chat mumbled.
The heroine played with her hair, again. Chat... had had feelings for her. It was such an odd thought to wrap her head around. One that seemed so obvious when she looked back on everything they'd been through. And she'd been completely blind to it. No, that wasn't right. She chose not to see it. She'd spent so much of her time, energy, and attention on Adrien that she'd outright refused to believe Chat's feelings were real. He had actually thought the world of her, too. She gave him a shy glance. He was entirely too quiet. She wanted to say it wasn't like him, but how could she? She'd purposely kept him at arm's length all this time. How could she honestly say she knew the first thing about him?
The wind passed over them, bringing with it a sudden chill. Both teens hugged themselves for warmth. Finally, the cat sighed.
"It's getting pretty late," he said. He was about to get up when Ladybug touched his arm. Chat stilled, staring into cerulean eyes as bright as the sky. It hadn't been so long ago that he'd felt he could soar just by staring into them. Even now, they still seemed breathtaking. And utterly out of his reach. Luna's words echoed in his head, and he had to wonder. Did he still love her?
"This girl," Ladybug said, pulling him back from his thoughts. "You really care about her. Don't you?"
Chat could only nod. His mouth was too dry to speak. Not that he could trust his own words right now, anyway.
Ladybug sighed, then nodded as well. "Alright, then. I'll see what I can do."
Black ears flicked upward in surprise. "What?"
"I'll talk it over with Master Fu," she said, stretching out her arms. "Maybe we can work around the mind wipe. I'm not making any promises, but-"
"You'd do that?" Chat asked in disbelief. "You're really okay with all of this?"
The bug shrugged. "Well, it's not like we can change what happened. And I believe you when you said it was an accident. I'm not exactly happy about it, but I'm not going to ream you out for it. You've probably beaten yourself up enough, anyway."
"I... Thank you!"
She chuckled a bit. "I'm not making any promises, remember?"
"No, I get it!" he said, raising his hands in defense. "It's just... You don't know how much this means to me."
"Just try not to make a habit of spilling the beans, chaton," Ladybug chided. Chat's brightened features made her feel at ease, but only a little. Chewing at her lip, she thought over her next words, carefully. "Chat? No matter what happens, I'm here for you. You know that, right? Even if you just need someone to talk to."
He gave her a lopsided smile. "As long as it's nothing too personal, right?"
She frowned before shaking her head. "No, Chat. You're right. We don't really know each other as well as we should. I'm... not ready to take the masks off, yet. But I'll listen if you need me to."
"You don't have to do that, Milady."
"I want to, though." She raised her fist towards him. "What d'ya say? Do we have a deal?"
Chat couldn't help but grin, meeting her fist with his own. "Deal."
Ladybug smiled before getting to her feet. "Alright. I think we've wasted enough tonight. We still have to come up with a battle plan for tomorrow." She offered Chat a hand, which he gladly took.
"I still have to finish my patrol, too," the cat said as he was pulled to his feet.
"We can multi-task."
Before Ladybug could let go, Chat pulled her into a sudden embrace. She squeaked as she hit his torso.
"C-Chat?"
"Thank you, Milady. I mean it."
Her heart fluttered. "D-don't mention it." It shouldn't have been as weird as it was. Chat had always been physical with his affections, but now that she knew just how deep that affection had gone...
Chat pulled away, and she found herself missing the warmth. He smiled down at her before stepping back. With a flick of his wrist, Chat extended his staff, then bent forward in a gracious bow.
"Shall we, then, Bugaboo?" he asked.
She chuckled at the familiar antics. "After you, silly minou."
With another cheeky grin, the boy leapt into the air, filled with newfound eagerness and the boundless energy he was known for. Ladybug watched him for a moment. There was an odd sort of weight in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't help but feel as though she'd let something truly precious pass her by. Glancing down at her yo-yo, the heroine took a deep breath. She couldn't dwell on it. At the end of the day, they were still partners. What-ifs and maybes shouldn't get in the way of that. Lining up her shot, Ladybug tossed the toy, soaring after her chaton.
Luna rubbed the stress from her eyes. She tried to focus on her computer screen, but she could barely stay awake. Which was more than a little frustrating. She needed to lay out her plans for tomorrow. The thought of the silly heist had long since lost its appeal, but she'd already laid down her challenge. She couldn't back out of it, now. With a yawn, the thief picked up a brand new puzzle cube and went back to studying the floor plan on her screen. She cranked the toy as she plotted, silently playing each possible scenario out in her head.
A tap at her window caught her attention. Luna frowned. Another round of tapping sounded. Definitely not her imagination. Setting the toy down, she stretched and stood. She rubbed the soreness out of her neck as she made her way over to open the curtains. The sight of glowing green eyes and a sheepish grin greeted her on the other side of the glass. Luna blinked. She slid the window open and peered at the ground below. Sure enough, the silver glint of Chat's staff was there in the darkness.
"How the hell can you balance on that thing like that?" she asked.
Chat shrugged, grinning wide. "Just one of my many claw-some talents."
"I see." Luna leaned on her windowsill, smirking at the hero. "And do you typically go around knocking on girls' windows?"
"Only the ones I like." His wink had her chuckling. Luna licked her lips.
"Y'know, I really shouldn't be having boys over. Kinda been grounded."
Chat grimaced. "You too, huh?"
"Yep. Turns out someone called Collins when a certain blond teen model went missing after his photo-shoot. Apparently, it's against the rules to cause mass hysteria in a public place."
"But playing hookie and kidnapping is perfectly acceptable."
The thief shrugged. "Priorities." They shared another laugh. Luna sighed, smiling at the utter dork of a boy. "You really shouldn't be here."
Chat ducked his head. "Maybe. I missed you, though."
"You spent the whole afternoon with me."
"So?"
Shaking her head, Luna reached out to flick his bell. "Get in here before you get caught, kitten."
The blond boy smiled as he climbed inside. As soon as he was in, Luna shut her window and drew the curtains, again.
"I'm surprised you even knew which one to knock on," she said as she turned to face him. Part of her wished she hadn't changed for bed, already. Somehow, her tanktop and pajama pants felt just a bit too revealing.
"I guessed," Chat said, sitting on her bed. "Helped that yours was the only light on, though."
Luna shook her head before moving to turn on her stereo. Another band Chat had never heard flowed through the speakers. It was an odd mix of guitars and orchestra that he found interesting at the very least. He smirked.
"Am I getting another lesson in good music?" Chat asked.
"I'm hiding your voice so Collins doesn't hear us," Luna told him. "I wasn't joking about the grounded thing. He will lose his shit if he catches you here."
"I don't know if I can imagine him like that. He always seems so laid back."
The girl took a seat next to him, grasping her arm. "Yeah, well trust me. You don't want to meet him pissed off."
Chat nodded. "Noted."
"So what do I owe the visit, kitten?" she asked with a smile.
He laid across the bed behind her, propping his head up with an arm. "I have a proposition for you."
"That being?"
"Why don't we let tomorrow decide what we do?"
Her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"We still have a bet, remember?" He took hold of her hand, running his thumb over the back of it. "What if we say whoever wins gets to decide what happens to your memories?"
"That's what you came up with?"
"You think it's stupid."
"A little, yeah."
Chat sat up, wrapping an arm around her waist. She let him pull her close, tucking her head under his chin.
"I know you're scared, Luna. I am, too."
"I just don't want to see you get hurt because of me, kitten. Either of you."
Chat frowned. "How well do you know Ladybug?"
"She's closer to you than you think."
He wasn't sure what to think of that. But it didn't matter, right now. What mattered was the girl in his arms. He placed a kiss against her temple.
"I love you, Luna," he whispered.
She ran her hand over his, tracing the ring on his finger. "I know you do."
"Then let me have the chance to fight for you."
Luna pulled away to look at him. "You sure you want to do this? I won't hold back tomorrow."
"Possitive. And I never expected you to. I happen to know you like a challenge." He nuzzled her, enjoying the sound of her giggle.
"You're such a dork," she told him.
Chat smiled at her, lovingly. "What d'ya say, Spadesy?"
"We'll make it part of the bet. You're still wearing that dress, pretty boy."
"Oh, am I now?"
She smirked. "You bet your ass, you are."
His eyes gleamed with mischief. "We'll see about that."
Luna squealed as he threw her on the bed and began attacking her sides. She kicked and squirmed fruitlessly against his tickle attack. Chat roared with laughter at her protests, showing her absolutely no mercy. The fun soon stopped at the pounding on her door.
"Luna Ann Galemore, it is one o'clock in the morning! I swear to god, if there's a cat in that room when I open this door, I am calling his father!"
He was out that window faster than a gunshot.
And I'm back, bitches! Sorry about the half-year hiatus. Life sucks right now, and this chapter did not want to be written. Thank you all for your patience, though. I hope this is worth the wait for you guys.
Sophie: To answer your questions: 1- I've only seen the first few episodes of Season 2 so no spoilers, please. 2- I like both ships. I'm not going to sit here and argue which one is better because that has never mattered to me. At the end of the day, Marinette and Adrien are the canon couple. That is what the show intends to have for its end game. And as many problems as I have with the pairing, I don't think I'd be happy if the show ended any differently. But there are a ton of fanfics already who star the canon couple. Really good ones, too. Right now, this is the only one with my Luna paired with Adrien (the spin-off doesn't count). And a lot of people are rooting for them. I am so lucky and so grateful to have such positive feedback for this story and for this pairing. So from here on out, please keep in mind that everyone here, you and I included, have the right to like or dislike any pairing in the fandom. Even ones that don't apply to the actual story of the show.
Amberdeengirl17: Sorry about the pairing, but I'm glad you liked it up until that point.
Davey: You're not the only commenter to ask that and I'm sorry for not addressing it sooner. Honestly, there are a few ways it could work. For starters, let's argue that Chat had this ability from the get go, but a) never needed to use it and b) it's a more advanced technique he probably wouldn't learn right off the bat. Being the personification of destruction, I don't think it's too hard to believe he could erase memories. Or rather suppress them. Be that as it may, the real question is if Luna would lose specific memories or a large chunk of them. It's more likely to be the latter case as that's the easiest to do without needing to comb through memories, which could end up being messy. Course, I could also alter the memories, instead, but that's an entirely different can of worms. Long story short, the semantics are still being hammered out.
Tin Man: Now, hold on. I never claimed any of these characters were smart. Of course teenagers are going to be stupid, especially when it comes to love. I was a teen once, too. All I mean is that there is a clear difference between love and attraction. Yes, someone young and inexperienced will have a harder time telling the two apart, but that doesn't make them any less complicated. If teens were simple, then most writers would be out of a job.
LittleRed525: Glad you like it!
annabethnotannie: Wow, that is a glowing review! I'm not sure I live up to the praise, but thank you!
PSYCH0XSEXY: Couldn't agree with you more. Hope you two the best in your relationship.
See you next chapter, guys!
Playlist:
In The End- Black Veil Brides
The Day- Porno Graffitti
Your Type- Carly Rae Jepsen
Storytime- Nightwish
Dangerous- Within Temptation